Sheffield Steelers’ wing pairing has been a joy to watch

Bob Westerdale

It’s been another roller-coaster year so far at Sheffield Steelers - nothing new there.

But amongst the changes of personnel and team fortunes on the ice, one thing seems to have stayed rock solid.

That’s the wing partnership of British flanker Rob Dowd and Levi Nelson, the Canadian on his opposite wing.

Coach Paul Thompson has had them paired on the same line since the beginning and hasn’t changed his mind about their compatibility since - even if the centreman that plays in the middle has been a moveable feast.

Nelson missed Wednesday’s big win over Edinburgh Capitals through illness but Dowd said: “We have been a constant, pretty much from the start. “I knew early that we’d found a connection there.

“It is great playing with someone who has such speed and can put defences under such pressure. We bonded well whether it is the ‘give and gos’ or the goal attempts. Levi is also quick to take the body as well.”

Thompson has thrown centremen like Jeff Legue, Tyler Mosienko, Fredrik Vestberg and the now departed Chris Lawrence in the middle of the pair. Whoever has gone there, the pair have been dynamos.

Dowd is gearing up for tomorrow’s trip to Fife. “It is always a tough game there. The crowd gets behind their team and if they go ahead it fuels them up more. Their top line is dangerous, but any of their lines can cause you trouble. In last Sunday’s game against them last (3-1) we might have had a few more if we’d had taken our opportunities, but they could have had another goal or two themselves.”